Morning Report: local papers

Wednesday's headlines: Beggars could be banned throughout Auckland; living wage plan at Hamilton City Council now in doubt; University of Otago may demolish two of its buildings.

NZ Herald

The New Zealand Herald says beggars could be banned throughout Auckland under a new council bylaw. while business associations are in favour of the move, beggars think the idea is fascist and a step towards a police state.

The paper says almost $4 million has been refunded to 90,000 BNZ customers after the bank made some foreign currency transaction errors.

And the paper has spoken to the man who fell 13 storeys from a central Auckland apartment balcony two weeks ago.

Waikato Times

'Bike smash: who's to blame?' is the headline in The Waikato Times. The paper has a picture of a rural road where a group of cyclists were hit by a car on Monday night. There's also a photograph of one of the mangled bikes damaged in the crash, which left one man in a critical condition.

And plans by Hamilton City Council to roll out a living wage are in doubt, after estimates of its cost quadrupled.

Dominion Post

The Dominion Post has details of a narrow escape by the Interislander ferry Kaitaki during last month's storm. Unions have told the paper the ferry came within 50 metres of rocks at Kaiwharawhara, after it snapped its moorings and was blown towards the shore.

Tougher sentences have been imposed on the former directors of Lombard Finance. the paper says the four men, including Sir Douglas Graham were given home detention on Monday, in addition to their earlier sentences of community work.

The Press

The Press says Christchurch City Council has been granting building consents that could put people and property at risk. International Accreditation New Zealand told the paper the council had granted consents that did not meet the building code.

And a man from the Christchurch City Mission is pictured painting out graffiti on a Cashel street building. A group from the Mission has been hitting the streets to help businesses affected by tagging.

ODT

The Otago Daily Times reports the University of Otago may demolish two of its buildings as part of a $50 million earthquake strengthening plan.

The paper says the Speight's Brewery in Dunedin is officially more environmentally friendly, thanks to the removal of four coal boilers.

And Destination Queenstown chief executive Graham Budd has told the paper there's no concern about the future viability of the Queenstown winter festival.